Second Star to the Right
by Vintage Geek
Summary: After his dive off the roof, a six year old Joe has to move with his family to Dallas, Texas to get away from the rumors concerning the incident. As the MacMillans adjust to their new life, Mrs. MacMillan hires a Mrs. Susan Fairchild as an experienced caretaker for her hurting son. Maybe the next two years of bed rest will go differently for young Joe in this almost-schoolyard AU.
1. Eye on the Sky

**Well ****_I'm _****psyched for season two. Is it just me or is Lee Pace on a roll? First the Hobbit, then this, and even tackling the Marvel movie: Guardians of the Galaxy. He had a nice career before then of course (Roy and Ned are unforgettable in my book) but this has certainly brought new fans. All the feels that have been building up since like episode three had to be released, so here we are.**

**Effectively this is a schoolyard AU, my first if you can believe it. Not your traditional schoolyard fic but I do hope this is passable, any character development ideas you have are more than welcome.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the AMC show Halt and Catch Fire.**

**Warning: This is rated T for adult language and depictions of serious injury.**

_November 29, 1954_

The streets of Armonk, New York were flooded with snow. The fact that it had been snowing for an entire week did little to quell the working body of the small North Castle CPD and they had plodded through the pristine blanket until it was little more than a Yuletide ashtray. IBM headquarters rose above the frozen town like a glacier; its expansive glass walls reflecting the streetlights like stars on a glossy canvas. Joseph Macmillan, Joe to his friends and coworkers, sat at his desk with his head in his hands. Aside from the custodial staff Joe was the only soul in the building this late at night and he liked it that way. For the last month Joe had been working almost eighty hours a week, some said it was because that man had true initiative and drive in the work place, others said he was in the dog house over some spat at the Thanksgiving holiday mixer, but only Joe Macmillan knew the real reason.

Both theories were right in a way, he did love his job. He enjoyed the glitz-n-glam of holding a high position at a large company like IBM. Joe also loved his wife; she was his star, his excitement, and the only proof he had that he possessed a personality. Lately however, her emotions were simply _too _much, even for the both of them. Mrs. Macmillan had begun to revisit old habits, talking with old friends, and on nights like this she drew their son with her into this insanity. He couldn't help it, his hands were shaking so bad he had to put the telephone on speaker.

"Sandra, Sandy listen to me, I need you to slow down." He said as calmly as his frayed mind could allow.

"Joe it's bad, it's really bad. Shit, I'm afraid to even touch him!" Sandra seemed to be bordering on hysterics. Her normally even, mellow tone was now piercing and raw. Each sentence was broken up by her haggard breathing as she ran around the front room, no doubt tangling herself in a web of phone cord.

"Tell me what happened." Joe was fighting not to raise his voice, he knew after six years of marriage that yelling back would only excite her more.

"We-we were watching a movie, he didn't want to go to sleep yet and I didn't mind," she made a choking sound as she tried to collect herself "he wanted to know where they were going, how they got to Neverland" Sandra began to whimper unintelligibly "and so I took him to our spot, t-to show him the star and he," she took a breath "he let go of my hand." Sandra had now calmed herself enough to talk clearly, although that didn't mean what she said made sense.

"How they got to Neverland? Sandra, honey I'm not understanding any of this." Joe swiped a hand across his forehead. "Have you phoned the police, the hospital?"

"Y-yes, they said they're on their way. I'm really scared right now Joe, I don't know what to do with him." The line popped and hissed as Sandra grew quiet.

"What is wrong with Joseph? Can I speak with him? Do you have him with you?" Joe was reaching his wit's end with this conversation, five minutes on the phone and he still knew nothing.

"He fell off the fucking roof! He landed really close to the fence but I don't know if he hit it. He's not crying… I don't know why he stopped crying." Sandra's voice rose back to its previous state. Joe could hear sirens over the line, _she must have left the door open _he thought absently. Suddenly the line went dead on him. It took Joe a moment to gather what had just happened. Slowly he stood up and gathered his things.

… _Two Months Later…_

"_Daddy!_" Donna squealed as her father scooped her into his arms. "Daddy I'm gonna drop my ice cream!" she giggled.

"Well then, we better not let _that_ happen." Gary set her down gently, letting her run off to the kitchen. "So Susan, how'd it go at the clinic?"

"Too full, can you believe that? Too many volunteers this year," Susan laughed "I saw Loretta and Judy signed up, so maybe it's for the best." Susan had been trying to find a part time occupation for when Donna and Gary were off handling their schedules. Being the excitable woman she was Susan couldn't spend a moment idly sitting around. She had begun searching for a volunteer position, or even a part time job, but nothing seemed to drift her way.

"You'll find something soon Darling, I'm sure of it." Gary said with a grin, though he may not understand his wife's need for a job, he did think it was good for her to focus on something bigger than cleaning the house.

"I will say this: a woman came in while I was there. Her name was something hoity-toity, McLean or MacMillan I think. She was a frazzled young thing, looked like something was driving her up a wall. The nurse at the front desk didn't look surprised to see her so she must be a 'regular' as terrible as that is. She was checking if anyone had asked about some position," Susan paused, shooting her husband an appraising look "something about needing a nanny, so I spoke up."

"She wants you to watch her kids?" Gary asked. He was even more confused at this point. "Now Susan, you said you wanted this job-thing of yours to keep you out of the house. So you're saying that your solution to this is to take a job at some _other _lady's house to tidy up and watch _her _kids?"

"Gary it's not like that! She only has one kid, a boy about Donna's age. They just moved from New York and their live-in nanny couldn't make the trip. She was looking for someone from the clinic because her boy needs some sort of special assistance." Susan knew this was the stress point. If Gary didn't feel comfortable with her decision then there was no way he'd let her take the job.

"Is he 'special' or something? Or did you even ask?" Gary stepped further into the room and crossed his arms, this wasn't going well.

"Gary whether he is or isn't shouldn't matter," Susan scolded "but _no_, he isn't. Right before they moved there was an accident and he got hurt pretty badly, nothing crippling, but he needs an extra set of eyes on him while his father's at work." This was what had hooked Susan, her heart went out to the boy the second she saw how upset this had his mother. Her boy needed a caretaker and Mrs. Macmillan was making herself crazy looking. "I already worked something out with her. I said if my family feels up to it then I can," she looked pointedly at her husband. "I would only be there Tuesday through Friday, and Donna has all her after school activities this year anyway. I'd be home right in time to pick her up and even start dinner."

"You sure got a lot done in one trip to the clinic." Gary mumbled to himself, quickly shooting an apologetic look at his frustrated wife. "I suppose if this is something you really want to do… but if this starts to wear you out I want you to tell me." He gave her a stern look as he pulled her to him.

Pecking a kiss on his cheek, Susan looked up at him with a smile "I promise, if I find out I'm babysitting a six year old sociopath I'll quit."

"You better." He laughed.

**I originally wanted to do this where it was Donna's family that moved, her father relocating to New York and her mother having to take the job to make up for the lack of funds. But this flowed better, and now I can include more of the cast :D and sorry, I know she's hinted at in season 1 but I had to improvise a mama for Joe, she's going to stick around a bit longer in this AU than she did in the canon, sorry if this messes with you.**

**Tell me your thoughts, the good, the bad, and the ugly.**


	2. The House at the End of the Street

**Wow. This took an embarrassing amount of time.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the AMC show Halt and Catch Fire.**

**Warning: This is rated T for adult language and depictions of serious injury. **

A squat '47 Nash drove slowly through the otherwise empty streets of the sleepy suburb. The putty color of the car did little to hide the small handprints that decorated the seams of each door. Susan perched in her seat with her chin on the wheel as she peered at the porches of each house. Not even ten minutes away from her own home and she felt as if she had stumbled into a different country. Her neighborhood was by no means shoddy or unkempt but these elegant Victorians and stately Colonials held no comparison to her street's pastel bungalows. "411, 413, 415, aha!" spotting the golden '417' on a thick black door she quickly pulled over in front of the house. Taking a moment to glance up at it Susan began to lose some of her nerve.

The entire neighborhood was new; she remembered looking at an empty lot in this community when Gary had first found a job in Dallas. Built for the flood of CEOs and doctors in the county, each house was a work of art, molded to its owner's exact tastes while still managing to cast that nostalgic glow of the early 20's. This house was particularly imposing; its siding was the color of brick dust, deep and angry, the jagged slopes of its roofs casting shadows on the windows. The house was perched further back from the street than its neighbors; Susan smiled as she realized the house seemed to be hiding.

The longer she admired it the less she was intimidated by it, obviously its architect had a taste for the gothic era, but she supposed she could appreciate that. Gathering her purse and gloves she strolled up the walkway and knocked on the heavy-set door. After a moment Susan began to wonder if anyone could even hear her in the large home. Feeling more and more nervous she rang the doorbell, listening to the hollow chiming as she waited.

Whoever came to open the door seemed to struggle for a moment, the handle turning several times before the door eased out of the frame. A woman Susan quickly recognized as Sandra MacMillan quickly stepped back to let her inside.

"Hello again." Sandra chirped as Susan began looking around the entry way. "I can't tell you how relieved I am that you actually showed up'" Sandra let out an uneasy laugh. "I mean, not that I thought you wouldn't." She quickly corrected herself. Putting a hand on her forehead before thinking better of it the petite woman continued, "Sorry, I promise I'm not normally like this, it's just the move has been really hard on Joseph and we haven't even finished unpacking yet." Susan did notice that the room's dressings, while beautiful, were sparse.

Taking pity on the younger woman, Susan smiled, "Its fine, I've been there. Gary hated this town when we first moved here. He thought it was so crowded compared to our old home, now he hardly notices it." That wasn't completely true, her husband could still gripe well into the night about Dallas' lunch rush, but she felt that wasn't necessary for Sandra to hear. "I'm sure your husband will adjust as soon as things at the office pick up."

Sandra gave Susan an odd look before laughing. "Oh, Joseph is my son. My husband goes by Joe; it's just easier that way." She smiles once more.

Susan could feel her ears grow warm, Sandra had mentioned something about their shared name but she had automatically assumed Joseph was the senior. "Sorry, I just thought—"

"It's not a problem, I only call Joseph that because I can," Sandra giggled "I guess you can address him however introduces himself."

…

"Things will be a bit strange here for the next several weeks." Sandra said as they walked into a large room. Susan found it odd that the living room of such an expansive house would have mixed furnishings, set aside from the plush couches was a strict looking wooden desk, not a paper out of place, whereas Joseph's toys carpeted his half of the shared space. "This is the family room. Joseph is not allowed in here when the doors are shut, and he is fully aware of that." Her tone went flat when she said this, making it clear he'd tried before. "This rule is only temporary, when we get the office cleared out and we can move Joe's things then Joseph can come in here whenever he pleases."

Following Sandra further into the house, she was greeted by another big but freezing room. "This is the dining room. I keep those doors shut so I don't have to run the heaters in here. We really only ever use this for company so don't worry about setting up anything in here." As Susan looked around the dark, narrow room she felt herself once again growing intimidated by this house. No doubt it was a large property, they were only in the third room and she could already have fit the bulk of her home in it.

Exiting through a small door opposite the ones they entered she found herself in a very green kitchen. Black and white linoleum was the only contrast to the soft color of the walls and fixtures. "How comfortable are you with cooking? It would really only be for Joseph and yourself, but if it's too much to balance I can try making meals beforehand…" Sandra seemed to lose herself in thought as she looked through the pantry.

"No, that won't be a problem at all. Will it just be lunches or does he eat his supper early?" Susan never did think to ask just how long her work schedule would be. Her only request when talking to Sandra was that she could be home by 7 on week nights.

"Huh? Oh, yes I try to have dinner ready for him by 5:30. He needs to have something in his stomach before he takes his medication." Sandra said before remembering, "Oh, I almost forgot, we keep Joseph's medication in this cupboard," she walked over to a smaller cabinet, close to the mud room. "Instructions are on the bottles, follow them to the letter." Susan felt a bit startled as the other woman's face grew deadly serious. Eyeing the many capsules and bottles, Susan began to wonder just how serious the boy's injuries were.

"Also, Joseph isn't allowed to go outside. He has toys outside, for the pool and such, but they are meant to stay outside. I don't want him out in the cold until I know he's ready for it." Sandra walked them through a hall that traced back to the main entry. Looking up the staircase Sandra sighed, her moment of severity forgotten, "Joseph is not allowed upstairs until he gets his cast taken off. His bedroom is up there, with his clothes and toys, but we have him set up in the office for now so that he can get around easier." She pointed at a room to their right, a receiving room, and past that were two wooden doors, which were currently shut. "He's in there right now, sleeping actually. The doctor said the best thing he can do is sleep." She gave a weary smile, "I try to have him take a nap every day between lunch and dinner. He should wake up any minute though; lunch is in about an hour." Sandra said, looking over Susan's shoulder to a slender grandfather clock next to the front door. "Would you like to help me?"

"Sure, that sounds great. Speaking of Joseph, is it alright if I ask what happened?" Susan hoped she hadn't crossed a line, she could feel a tangible shyness prickling at her extremities.

Sandra glanced at the doors to the office one more time before answering. "It happened this last November. Joe had been at work and I was spending the evening at home with Joseph. He had wanted to go look at the stars that night, we had a small spot on the roof where we used to sit and watch them all the time."Sandra let out a breathy chuckle. "So we got bundled up and went up to our spot. Well it had been snowing like you wouldn't believe earlier that week and there were low spots up there that were still iced over, so I made him hold my hand while we sat." Susan saw Sandra start clench her hands, digging her nails into her palms as she continued. "He stood up to show me the star he found, he thought it was the star in Peter Pan, and wanted to see if he could reach it—he's only six—and he slipped."

"Oh my God, that's terrible!" Susan whispered. She brought a hand up to cover her mouth.

"The doctors said he was really lucky. See we had this little picket fence going around the yard, and some thick bushes next to it, he landed almost square on top of the fence, but the bushes were tall enough that he hit them first. They cushioned his fall." Sandra blinked several times, "They actually told me that if we had cut those bushes back for winter that he could have died. They said that right in front of him." Sandra took a moment to shake off the nerves. "But he didn't, so we're happy. We still have our Joseph and he hasn't changed a bit."

"Well I'm glad to hear he's not too rattled, I can only imagine something like that happening to my Donna." Susan said solemnly.

"Oh, is she Joseph's age?" Sandra perked up.

"She just turned seven," Susan answered "Will Joseph be attending Cardiff Elementary? He might end up in her class."

Sandra took a moment to consider, "Well, we'd like to wait until he's able to walk around by himself. We've thought about just waiting until next year to enroll him, what with all the trips to the doctor's office."

"This might help, or it might not, but I happen to be close friends with the vice principal there. He might be able to let Joseph sit in through some of the classes so that he doesn't fall too hard behind." Susan offered.

"That sounds wonderful! You have no idea how much that would help us," Sandra smiled "Is there any way you could help me arrange a meeting with him?"

"Of course, I'll ask him on Sunday."

….

Susan had just started setting up the kitchen table for lunch when she heard a small voice. It was probably Joseph; Sandra had left shortly after showing Susan how to prepare the meal, she had tried to say goodbye to her son but he had still been fast asleep. Straightening up, Susan walked down the hall and into the receiving room before stopping in front of the doors to the study. She could hear someone shuffling behind the door and a sound like rustling bed sheets

"Momma?" the voice called, slightly muffled by the doors.

Sliding one door open, Susan poked her head in. "Hi sweetie. Your mom just left for a meeting. My name is Susan, did she tell you I was coming to babysit today?" Susan couldn't help but smile at the young boy. He was lying on a futon mattress nestled into a fort of couch pillows, his dark hair stuck up in every direction and his eyes were still swollen from sleep. For a second Joseph looked scared, probably wondering who the strange woman in his house was, before he quickly registered that yes, his mother _had _said something about a babysitter coming by today.

Susan stepped into the room after seeing his tired nod. Sitting down on the corner of the futon she asked, "Did you sleep okay?"

He gave another tired nod.

Susan chortled, "Now come on dear, I told you my name, it's only fair I hear yours."

"Joseph." The boy mumbled. Susan noticed that Joseph refused to meet her gaze, he only looked in her direction rather than at her; between each question he would dip his eyes back to the sleeve of his pajamas and wriggle his fingers, fidgeting with a clear button that poked out from the navy fabric.

Her expression softened further, "Can you look at me please?"

Joseph's head snapped up, his cheeks painted red with embarrassment. "Sorry ma'am." He mumbled.

"Thank you," she smiles. "And none of that ma'am stuff, you hear? Just call me Susan, sweetheart."

"Yes m-Susan." Just then, Joseph's stomach made a low gurgle; the blush on his face quickly began creeping up his neck, making his entire face glow pink. "Did Momma already eat lunch?" he asked quietly.

Susan couldn't help but chuckle, "No, she made some before she left, just for the two of us. Do you want to come with me and eat?" She asked as she stood to hold open the door.

"… C-can you help me get up?" Joseph said in a small voice. He was once again staring at his sleeve, refusing to look to her for a further reply; his other arm was held out for her to take, his small fingers splayed but tense.

Susan wanted to kick herself for forgetting his legs. Sandra had explained the extent of her son's injuries while they had been preparing the pasta salad. When he fell his legs took the brunt of the fall, breaking his left leg and spraining his right ankle. His arm, however, had gotten caught in between the pickets of the fence, creating a clean break through both bones in his right arm. He had over seventy stitches in his torso from the bushes that 'cushioned' his fall, they unable to support his weight and the brittle branches had splintered against his stomach.

"Of course I can, Joseph." Susan supported his left arm and began to ease him to his feet. As Joseph wiggled to the edge of the futon Susan looked around for a pair of crutches, he couldn't get around on a bum-ankle _and_ a cast without some sort of assistance. "Um, Joseph? Sweetie, do you have a set of crutches somewhere?"

Joseph's eyes shot to the end table next to the futon before growing wide, "I think they're in Momma's car…" he said slowly. "I'm sorry!" the boy turned to Susan, eyes still large he continued "I-I know I'm not supposed to lose them, but it was really late yesterday, a-and I was really tired, and Momma said she'd get 'em this morning but-"

"Joseph, it's alright. I'm not mad, darlin'; I just thought you might want them. I can carry you to the kitchen if you can't walk, I don't mind." Susan tried to be delicate; she knew Joseph was probably around the age where boys stopped wanting to be carried everywhere and that he'd more than likely be too embarrassed to say otherwise, no matter _who _asked.

For a moment she thought she was right, Joseph ducked his head down and let out an agitated sigh. Without looking back up the boy nodded solemnly. Raising his other arm so that she could scoop him up by his underarms, she carefully positioned him on her hip, trying to stay mindful of his chest. Without a moment's hesitation, Joseph hid his face in the crook of her neck, keeping her from glancing at him as they made their way to the kitchen.

He was a shy kid, Susan couldn't help but think, but he was also very sweet.

**Ha! I finally got another one written up. I've had this chapter on my computer for ages; I couldn't stop picking at it! The first time I wrote this out I realized it was almost completely centered on the house and I didn't appreciate that at all. Hopefully this final revision is as good as I think it is, any mistakes you do happen to spot are on me.**


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